Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 29
BC Place — Vancouver
Sept. 15 — 10 pm ET
WATCH: TSN2, ESPN+

Streaking Cascadia Cup rivals square off at BC Place Saturday when the Vancouver Whitecaps FC put a six-game unbeaten streak on the line against a Seattle Sounders squad that has won eight straight in 11 unbeaten in a match with major playoff implications.

The Whitecaps are coming off a second straight win, beating the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, on Sept. 1, while the Sounders knocked off Sporting Kansas City, 3-1, that day.

This is the second meeting this season with the Sounders winning 2-0 at CenturyLink Field on July 21 thanks to Nico Lodeiro's first-half brace.

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Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Vancouver (11-9-7) won for the third time in six games without defeat after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes for a second consecutive match.

Alphonso Davies and Nicolas Mezquida scored a goal in each half before Vako pulled the Quakes back a goal in second-half stoppage time.

“We’re both in the same boat,” Carl Robinson said. “We’re both on good runs. Obviously they’ve strung [together] eight consecutive wins. I’ve watched all their games and I think they’ve deserved most of them. I think they’ve been lucky in one or two of them, but so have we.

“It’s a new game of football. There’ll be freshness in the game, as with all derbies. Whenever you play Seattle or Portland there’ll be energy, mistakes, wrong decisions, and it’ll be down to the players as to who will win the game.”

• Suspended: M - Yordy Reyna
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: D - Jose Aja (left quad injury), M - Jordon Mutch (right foot injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Marinovic — Jake Nerwinski, Kendall Waston, Aaron Maund, Brett Levis — Aly Ghazal, Felipe — Cristian Techera, Russell Teibert, Alphonso Davies — Kei Kamara

Seattle Sounders FC

Sitting just above the playoff line, Seattle (12-9-5) defeated Sporting Kansas City, 3-1, at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 1.

After falling behind on Diego Rubio’s 2nd-minute goal, Raul Ruidiaz leveled 10 minutes later and following an own goal by Graham Zusi, Lodeiro converted a 56th-minute penalty kick.

“Two teams that are playing at a pretty high level, it should be a very exciting match,” Brian Schmetzer said. “The added bonus, the flavor, the little bit of sparkle, to the match is the Cascadia Cup. I know we can go up there and get a result and that will come back to us. That’s something we’re aware of as well so there’s lots to play for up there.”

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: D - Jordy Delem
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: F - Jordan Morris (torn ACL), F - Felix Chenkam (herniated disc); QUESTIONABLE: M - Victor Rodriguez (right hamstring strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Frei — Kelvin Leerdam, Kim Kee-hee, Chad Marshall, Brad Smith — Gustav Svensson, Osvaldo Alonso — Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro, Harry Shipp — Raul Ruidiaz

All-Time Series

• Overall: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7 wins, 26 goals … Seattle Sounders FC 9 wins, 31 goals … 5 draws
• At Vancouver: Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 12 goals … Sounders FC 4 wins, 16 goals … 4 draws
• Last meeting at Vancouver: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1, Seattle Sounders FC 1 (Aug. 23, 2017)

Officials

Referee: Robert Sibiga
Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, Jeremy Kieso
4th Official: Drew Fischer
VAR: Geoff Gamble

Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota United FC | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota United FC
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 29
Rio Tinto Stadium — Sandy
Sept. 15 — 9:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Real Salt Lake hope to feast on more home cooking to continue a march up the Western Conference standings against a Minnesota United side looking to snap a six-match winless streak.

This is the second meeting this season with the Loons claiming a 3-2 victory at TCF Bank Stadium on July 14. Ibson, Darwin Quintero and Miguel Ibarra scored in a 17-minute span to open up a 3-0 lead before RSL roared back on a Joao Plata brace in the final 13 minutes.

Real Salt Lake and Minnesota have met just three times prior in league play, with the home team winning each of the three previous matches.

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Real Salt Lake

After scoring 14 goals in three consecutive wins, Real Salt Lake (13-10-5) are hoping the international break didn’t cool them off.

RSL became the first team in MLS history to score six goals in back-to-back games, the last a 6-2 victory over the LA Galaxy with Damir Kreilach scoring a hat trick and Albert Rusnak adding a brace.

“I think it’s confidence now, not overconfidence,” Mike Petke said. “We’re very grounded right now, we understand who we are, we understand our capabilities, practice over the last month has been so much more intense and so much more specific from the players, getting on each other and making sure we’re connecting passes and making the right movements. I think we’ve grown up a heck of a lot from last year to this year.”

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: D - Justen Glad, D - Brooks Lennon, D - Marcelo Silva
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: D - Tony Beltran (right knee surgery), M - Jordan Allen (knee surgery), GK - Alex Horwath (Achilles surgery), M - Luke Mulholland (back injury), D - David Horst (Achilles surgery), F - Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee surgery), GK - Connor Sparrow (knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Marcelo Silva (ankle injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Nick Rimando — Brooks Lennon, Nick Besler, Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera — Joao Plata, Kyle Beckerman, Sunny — Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Damir Kreilach

• Notes: Kreilach has scored one-third of Real Salt Lake’s goals over their last two games (four of their 12). He had six goals in his first 25 league appearances. … Real Salt Lake have won three straight MLS matches, outscoring opponents 14-3 in that time – becoming the first team in league history to score 6+ goals in consecutive MLS games in the process. The club has not won four consecutive league games since 2013.

Minnesota United

Not rewarded for being the better side in the first half, Minnesota (9-16-2) took the lead early in the second half only to concede twice in quick succession to fall to D.C. United, 2-1, Wednesday night at Audi Field.

Angelo Rodriguez opened the scoring two minutes into the second half with his first MLS goal, but Ulises Segura and Darren Mattocks struck four minutes apart as the Loons suffered a fifth loss in the last six games.

“I thought our game plan was good and I thought we set up well," Adrian Heath said. "The disappointment was the goals were soft, from our point of view. We concede too many of them. We are not nasty enough at times. We probably did not make the most of the opportunities we had on the counter attack as well. We had some really good opportunities tonight. Overall I am disappointed we did not take something from the game."

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: M - Miguel Ibarra
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: M - Sam Cronin (cervicogenic dysfunction), M - Kevin Molino (torn left ACL), M - Ethan Finlay (torn ACL); QUESTIONABLE: D - Eric Miller (undisclosed injury)

Projected Starting XI
(3-4-1-2, right to left)
GK: Bobby Shuttleworth — Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Francisco Calvo — Miguel Ibarra, Rasmus Schuller, Collen Warner, Jerome Thiesson — Ibson — Angelo Rodriguez, Darwin Quintero

• Notes: Bobby Shuttleworth now has eight games this season with 5+ saves, one short of the career high he set last season. … Minnesota have lost five of their last six games (1D), getting outscored 14-6 in that time. Another loss would tie the club’s MLS record for the longest losing streak.

All-Time Series

• Overall: Real Salt Lake 1 win, 5 goals … Minnesota United 2 win, 7 goals … 0 draws
• At Salt Lake: Real Salt Lake 1 win, 1 goal … Minnesota United 0 wins, 0 goals … 0 draws
• Last meeting at Salt Lake: Real Salt Lake 1, Minnesota United FC 0 (June 17, 2017)

Officials

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: CJ Morgante, Felisha Mariscal
4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal
VAR: Tim Ford

Con ventaja corta, Nacional se impuso ante Junior en el Atanasio

Un gol de Daniel Bocanegra bastó para que Nacional se fuera adelante en la serie contra Junior. La vuelta será en Barranquilla el próximo miércoles.

ATLÉTICO NACIONAL

1 0

JUNIOR

ATLÉTICO NACIONAL: CHRISTIAN VARGAS; DANIEL BOCANEGRA, FELIPE AGUILAR, ALEXIS HENRÍQUEZ (CHRISTIAN MAFLA, MIN. 45), DIEGO BRAGHIERI; JORMAN CAMPUZANO (CARLOS CUESTA, MIN. 76), GONZALO CASTELLANI, ALDO LEAO RAMÍREZ; STEVEN LUCUMÍ, DAYRO MORENO, OMAR DUARTE (CARLOS RIVAS, MIN. 45).

JUNIOR: LUIS CHUNGA; MARLON PIEDRAHITA, DEIVY BALANTA, WILLER DITTA, GERMÁN GUTIÉRREZ; ENRIQUE SERGE (DANIEL MORENO, MIN. 78), LEONARDO PICO, SEBASTIÁN HERNÁNDEZ, FABIÁN SAMBUEZA (JARLAN BARRERA, MIN. 70), KEVIN ALADESANMI (LUIS DÍAZ, MIN. 45), YONY GONZÁLEZ.

MARCADOR: 1-0, DANIEL BOCANEGRA, MIN. 53.

ÁRBITRO: GUSTAVO MURILLO. AMONESTÓ A DEIVY BALANTA (MIN. 14), JORMAN CAMPUZANO (MIN. 34), FERNANDO MONETTI (MIN. 89), GONZALO CASTELLANI (MIN. 90). EXPULSÓ A SEBASTIÁN HERNÁNDEZ (MIN. 90+3).

INCIDENCIAS: PARTIDO DE IDA POR LOS CUARTOS DE FINAL DE LA COPA ÁGUILA 2018. DISPUTADO EN EL ESTADIO ATANASIO GIRARDOT DE MEDELLÍN. 8,842 ESPECTADORES.

Noche fría y de poco público en el Atanasio, a pesar de venir ganando en la Liga, Atlético Nacional no tuvo el acompañamiento de otros partidos definitivos. Estos cuartos de final de la Copa disfrazados de fecha 5 comenzó con un juego ofensivo y ordenado del equipo que de a poco va mostrando su ascenso, pero que todavía no es del gusto del aficionado que lo hace sentir por su ausencia. 

Al minuto 7, Alexis Henríquez sufrió un golpe con el arquero José Luis Chunga que terminó llevando la peor parte el samario, el cual no aguantó sino un tiempo en cancha. El local era dueño de la pelota y se lo hacía notar a un Junior que trataba de sacarse la presión jugando por el sector derecho con Sebastián Hernández, Marlon Piedrahíta y Fabián Sambueza. La visita tuvo opciones pero no inquietaron a Christian Vargas que nuevamente sacó el cero en su arco. 

Dayro Moreno y Steven Lucumí fueron lo más destacado en la primera mitad para un local que lucía un juego ofensivo pero sin ser certero. Los centros desde el costado no tenían destinatario y la zaga tiburona no tenía mayores dificultades. 

En la etapa complementaria, Herrera sacó a Henríquez y a Duarte quien fue anulado por el rival y no logró esa movilidad en el frente de ataque de otros partidos. Dándole paso a Carlos Rivas quien pasó a la banda derecha en lugar de Lucumí que estaba en el sector izquierdo. En la otra variante, Christian Mafla entró como lateral, dejando a Diego Braghieri como central zurdo. 

La visita movió sus fichas también, entró Jarlan Barrera para darle más volumen de juego con Hernández, luego Luis Díaz entró a reforzar el ataque. 

El partido se tornaba equilibrado con llegadas en las ambas áreas, hasta que en el minuto 8, una falta contra Dayro Moreno derivo en un tiro libre que logró capitalizar Daniel Bocanegra en un gran cobro desde el sector izquierdo. El tolimense rompió una racha de 127 partidos sin anotar un gol por esa vía, todo un antirrecord. 

Tras el gol, los locales fueron más ofensivos y generaron varias llegadas que entre el arquero y la mala puntería evitaron que se ampliara el marcador. Al minuto 30 de la etapa complementaria un centro de Díaz le pegó entre el hombro y el pecho al recién ingresado Carlos Cuesta, todo el banco visitante lo protestó como penal, pero el árbitro Gustavo Murillo no sancionó. 

Al final, un par de ocasiones de Dayro Moreno pudieron ser el 2 y hasta el 3-0 pero la falta de cabeza fría privó al nacido en Chicoral celebrar. La última jugada del partido fue un tiro libre que le hace Sebastián Hernández a Dayro Moreno que recibe la tarjeta roja directa. Cobró Bocanegra pero salió desviado. 

Resultado corto para un Nacional que fue más en el trámite y oportunidad para un Junior que con todas sus fichas esperará en el Metropolitano darle vuelta al marcador.